Tutorial Details

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Step 1

Enter 1100 in the width box and 720 in the height box then click on the Advanced button.

Select RGB, Screen (72ppi) and make sure that the “Align New Objects to Pixel Grid” box is unchecked before your click OK.

Enable the Grid (View > Show Grid) and the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). You’ll need a grid every 2.5px. Simply go to Edit > Preferences > Guides > Grid, enter 2.5 in the Gridline every box and 1 in the Subdivisions box.

You should also open the Info panel (Window > Info) for a live preview with the size and position of your shapes.

Do not forget to set the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Unit > General.

All these options will significantly increase your work speed.

Step 2

Pick the Rectangle Tool(M), create a 920 by 15px shape and fill it with any color.

Switch to the Direct Selection Tool(A) and focus on the left side of this thin rectangle.

Select the bottom anchor point and drag it 40px to the right. The Snap to Grid will ease your work.

Move to the right side of this shape, select the bottom anchor point and drag it 40px to the left. In the end your shape should look like in the second image.

Step 3

Select the shape created in the previous step and go to Effect > Warp > Bulge. Enter the data shown below, click OK.

Go to Object > Expand Appearance. Fill the resulting shape with the linear gradient shown in the following image and focus on the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance).

Add a second fill for this shape using the Add New Fill button (pointed by the little, blue arrow). Select this new fill, set the color to black, lower its opacity to 2%, change the blending mode to Multiply.

Go to Effect > Artistic > Film Grain. Enter the data shown in the following image then click OK.

Step 4

Disable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid) then go to Edit > Preferences > General and make sure that the Keyboard Increment is set at 1px.

Select the shape edited in the previous step and make two copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F).

Select the top copy and move it 1px down using the down arrow from your keyboard.

Reselect both copies, open the Pathfinder panel (Window > Pathfinder) and click on the Minus Front button. Fill the resulting shape with R=147 G=149 B=152 and lower its opacity to 70%.

Step 5

Enable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid) and grab the Ellipse Tool(L). Create a 7.5 by 5px shape, fill it with R=72 G=74 B=79, lower its opacity to 70% and place it as shown in the first image.

Select this new shape and make two copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F).

Disable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid), select the top copy and move it 1px down using the down arrow from your keyboard.

Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with R=65 G=65 B=66 and raise its opacity to 100%.

Select the two shapes created in this step and group them (Control + G).

Step 6

Select the group created in the previous step and go to Effect > Distort&Transform > Transform. Enter the data shown below and click OK.

Step 7

Enable the Snap to Grid. Pick the Rectangle Tool(M), create a 920 by 25px shape, fill it with R=214 G=217 B=219 and place it as shown in the first image.

Make a copy of this shape (Control + C > Control + F), make it invisible and send it in the bottom of your Layers panel. You’ll need this copy later.

Now, focus on the visible shape. Pick the Mesh Tool(U) and add some mesh points as shown in the second image. Once again, the Snap to Grid will come in handy.

Pick the Direct Selection Tool(A), select the mesh points one by one and set the colors as shown in the following image.

Step 8

Focus on the Layers panel and go back to that invisible shape created in the previous step. Make it visible and bring it to front (Shift + Control + ] ).

Fill it with black, lower its opacity to 3%, change the blending mode to Multiply.

Focus on the Appearance panel. Simply add a 0.75pt stroke and set its color at R=88 G=89 B=91.

Step 10

Next, you need to mask the shape created in the previous step. Select the shape edited in the eighth step and make a copy in front (Control + C > Control + F).

Select this copy and go to the Appearance panel. Remove the Film Grain effect, raise the opacity to 100%, change the blending mode to Normal and set the fill color at white then bring it to front (Shift + Control + ] ).

Select this white shape along with the shape created in the previous step and go to the Transparency panel (Window > Transparency). Open the fly-out menu and simply click on Make Opacity Mask. In the end your masked shape should look like in the fourth image.

Step 11

Disable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Reselect the shape edited in the eighth step, make two copies in front (Control + C > Control + F > Control + F) and bring them to front (Shift + Control + ] ).

Select the top copy and move it 1px down.

Reselect both copies and click on the Minus Front button from the Pathfinder panel.

Select the resulting shape and go to the Appearance panel. First, remove the Film Grain effect and change the blending mode to Normal. Next, raise the opacity to 50% and set the fill color at white.

Step 12

Enable the Snap to Grid (View > Snap to Grid). Pick the Rectangle Tool(M), create a 27.5 by 2.5 px shape, fill it with R=35 G=31 B=32, place it as shown in the following image.

Step 13

Pick the Rectangle Tool(M) and create a 912.5 by 2.5px shape. Fill it with R=35 G=31 B=32 and place it as shown in the following image.

Step 14

Pick the Rectangle Tool(M), create a 920 by 5px shape, fill it with R=214 G=217 B=219 and place it as shown in the first image. Make a copy of this shape, make it invisible and send it in the bottom of your Layers panel. Again, you’ll need this invisible shape later.

Now, focus on the visible shape. Pick the Mesh Tool(U) and add some mesh points as shown in the second image.

Switch to the Direct Selection Tool(A), select the mesh points one by one and set the colors as shown below.

Step 15

Focus on the Layers panel and go back to the invisible shape made in the previous step. Make it visible and bring it to front (Shift + Control + ] ).

Fill it with black, lower its opacity to 3%, change the blending mode to Multiply.

Step 24

Focus on the Appearance panel. Add a 1pt stroke, select it, set the color to white, align it to inside and lower its opacity to 15%.

Switch to the Ellipse Tool(L), create a 5px circle and place it as shown in the second image. Fill it with white and lower its opacity to 7%.

Step 25

Select the dark rectangle created in the twenty-first step and make a copy in front (Control + C > Control + F).

Pick the Rectangle Tool(M), create a 360 by 500px shape, fill it with a random color and place it as shown in the first image.

Switch to the Direct Selection Tool(A), focus on the top side of this new shape, select the left anchor point and move it 230px to the right. In the end your shape should look like in the second image.

Step 26

Select the two shapes created in the previous step and click on the Intersect button from the Pathfinder panel.

Delete the original shape then fill the resulting shape with the linear gradient shown in the second image. Also, lower its opacity to 30%. The yellow zero from the gradient image stands for opacity percentage.

Step 27

You can easily replace the dark screen with a simple screen image.

Drag the desktop screenshot inside your Ai file, select it and open the Transform panel (Window > Transform). Enter 660 in the width box and 412,5 in the height box.

Now, place this image above the rectangle created in the twenty-third image. Focus on the Layers panel and make sure that you drag this image below the shape made in the previous step .

Step 28

Pick the Rectangle Tool(M), create a 860 by 5px shape and fill it with black. Place it as shown in the following image, send it to back (Shift + Control + [ ).

Focus on the Layers panel and lock this blurred shape to make sure that you don’t accidentally select/move it.

Select the shapes highlighted in the second image (shapes created between step 2 to step 6) and group them (Control + G).

Select this new group and go to Object > Transform > Reflect. Check the Horizontal button and click on the Copy button. This will create a vertically flipped copy of your group. Select it and move it down as shown in the third image.

Step 29

Reselect the group created in the previous step and make a copy in front (Control + C > Control + F).

Select this new group and click on the Unite button from the Pathfinder panel. Fill the resulting shape with the linear gradient shown in the second image.

Select this shape along with the flipped group and go to the Transparency panel. Open the fly-out menu, click on Make Opacity Mask and make sure that you uncheck the Clip box.